When the Devil Comes to Call (A Lars and Shaine Novel Book 2) Read Free

across the island.
    When the kid had gone, Lars tucked his gun in the waistband of his sweatpants and turned to Shaine. “Nicely done. I didn’t even see or hear you.”
    “Yeah, you either.”
    “Good thing we didn’t shoot each other.”
    “Seriously.” Shaine laughed. “You like my little tough girl line?”
    “Yeah. Maybe a little much.”
    “Yeah, I saw how badly that kid was shitting a brick and wanted to mess with him.”
    Without thinking, Lars shifted into mentor mode. “We’ve talked about being able to back up everything you say. If you draw down on someone serious, they’ll know if you’re only saying a line.”
    “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Shaine said.
    Lars realized he’d begun to lecture. They both smiled. “So,” Lars said. “We up now? You want something to eat?”
    “No,” Shaine said. “It’s the middle of the night. I’ll take one of those beers though.” She smiled innocently at Lars, knowing what came next.
    “No way, kid. You got three more years until you’re twenty-one.”
    “I know.”
    “Besides, I seem to recall a little girl in Las Vegas who swore off drinking for life.”
    “I swore off drinking long island iced teas with assholes.”
    Lars laughed and began putting away the food left scattered over the kitchen counter. He slid the two beers into the door pocket of the refrigerator when the phone rang.
    Almost as rare as someone on foot wandering through their property, was a phone call.
    Lars looked down at his hand and noticed the gun again, lured out by the phone call without him consciously knowing it. He said to Shaine, “You expecting a call?”
    She shook her head. Lars checked the caller ID. A New York number. It made him curious enough, so he answered.
    “Hello?”
    “You using enough sunscreen out there, ya old son of a bitch?”
    Lars relaxed a little hearing Nikki’s voice, but not completely. If Nikki was calling, it meant more than a social call.
    “How are you, Nikki?”
    “I’m coughing my lungs out bit by bit and I got the friggin’ FBI breathing down my neck and checking my garbage for clues. How should I feel?”
    “Same as ever, I suppose.”
    “You got that right. So how’s things? What are you—laying on the beach, watching the girls go by?”
    “Well, right now it’s kinda the middle of the night.”
    “Aw, shit, the fucking time difference. Aren’t you ahead of me?”
    “No, we’re behind.”
    “Son of a—hey, I’m sorry about that, pal.”
    “It’s alright. I was up anyway.” Lars palmed over the receiver and whispered to Shaine. “Nikki.”
    She nodded with pursed lips and went back to her room.
    “Hey, listen,” Nikki said. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I called.”
    “I was, yes.”
    “Lars, I need you do to a job for me.”
    A job, he’d said. Nikki only ever called about one kind of job.
    Lars waited, listening to the sound of Nikki’s oxygen machine breathing mechanical breaths. Nikki had been more than a boss, he’d been a friend. Nikki trusted Lars and gave him more responsibility than anyone had before or since. Lars didn’t feel comfortable talking about it, but deep down he also considered Nikki a father figure. Telling him no had been out of the question for over twenty-five years.
    “A job?”
    “One more for an old man, eh? What do you say?”
    “I don’t really do jobs any more.”
    “Don’t bullshit me. You can take the gun out of your hand, but that don’t mean you aren’t still locked and loaded.”
    Lars often wondered if this day would come. He had a choice to make. If it was anyone but Nikki, the decision would be simple—No. He shuffle stepped in place, thought about the beer in the fridge.
    “Don’t you think you’d be better off with a local?” he asked Nikki.
    “Not on this one. It’ll be your retirement party. I’ll buy you a gold watch and everything.”
    I thought I already retired, thought Lars. He asked, “What is it?”
    “Not over the phone. You’ll come